Of Life and a touch of Copper

Life has been an emotional roller coaster these past few months. For those of you that don't know...two of my sisters AND my mom have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 months. It is CRAZY that this is happening to my family all at the same time. No, it is not in our family. They are the first. We were completely taken by surprise when my first sister was diagnosed then to have 2 more diagnosed in such a short period of time seems unheard of. I am too much in the moment of it all and unable to put my emotions into the proper words so I will give you a brief update on how everyone is doing.

Sister #1 has set the tone for everyone. She has handled her diagnosis and treatment with the utmost amount of Grace. I can't even begin to tell you how easy she has made it for the rest of us to cope. She had her last chemotherapy treatment last week. Although she will continue with additional weekly treatments for another six months, we are looking forward to her strength (and hair) returning.

Sister #2 began her chemotherapy treatments and is half way through already. She had a different course of treatment, so although it is shorter in terms of time she is getting mega doses of chemo in one shot. She has followed Sister #1's lead and is in a very good place emotionally and showing an incredible amount of Grace as well.

Mom will begin radiation treatments shortly. This will be new to us so I'm not quite sure what to expect. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Right now I don't want to know more. I can't even believe how much I have learned about cancer, treatments and cancer centers. We will deal with this one day at a time, just as we have everything else. And of course Mom is ever graceful also. I guess her girls learned it somewhere ;).

While I am here I would like to give a shout out to the beautiful people that work in cancer centers daily. They are truly amazing people!! I think they are angels here on earth.

My life is one day at a time. One appointment at a time. One person at a time. I don't do much thinking ahead or trying to plan a schedule for the family like I used to. Just one day, everyday filled with as much happiness as is possible. I strive to be joyful and creative everyday. I am surprisingly finding joy. It really is about the small, simple pleasures and enjoying the company of each person I come into contact with.

Creativity has been a bit more difficult. I don't have the drive to be as creative as I was in the past, but it really does make happy. So I try to do one creative thing everyday.

I haven't felt much like melting glass so I have been working a bit with metals. I have been practicing a new technique of etching metal when my time allows. I purchased a wonderful tutorial from Payton Jett. She totally rocks! You can find out more about Payton and the tutorial in her Etsy Shop. I have only etched copper so far but today I am experimenting with brass and silver. I can't wait to see what happens. I will keep you posted. Here are a couple of pictures I snapped to show you what I have been up to.

This was my second attempt at etching. The first didn't come out quit so well but I think I didn't have the right type of ink to make it work and I got excited and rushed the process along. You can't do that and expect great results. I was much happier with my second attempt.

Here is what those cut out circles look like. They are one inch discs. I have since drilled one hole in each disc. I am thinking they would make cute earrings.

And today I will etch these...

 The group shot.

 One inch disc with heart. Sterling Silver.

 One inch disc with owl. Brass. Isn't he cute?

And of course I had to do a tree. This is a 2 inch disc in copper.

I hope I will be adding some of these to my Etsy shop, Ema K Designs, one day soon. But as I said earlier, one day at time.

If you have an interest in any of them. Please do contact me. I still need to make some money but I haven't been very good at listing lately so do contact me if you like what you see.

Peace and Joy to All,

Transitions ... from shirt to bead

My son found this t-shirt on line. I purchased it for him for Christmas. When it arrived I was wishing I had bought one for myself. I love this t-shirt!!! I still could buy one and so can you if you want. You can find the Transitions t-shirt right here on shirt.woot. The problem is I'm not a huge fan of t-shirts. Those necklines feel like they are strangling me and drive me nuts all day.

Now if you have been following my blog you will have noticed that I am hooked on making tree silhouettes. It was a natural transition for me to turn this t-shirt into a tree bead. I love it!!!

Transitions by Ema K on Etsy

Now maybe I won't keep threatening to steal my son's t-shirt or maybe I will because I have listed this bead in my Etsy shop. He better watch out. :D

Balancing Act of Life and Beads

Life is a balancing act. For me I am constantly trying to find the balance in life; trying to make sure everyone is taken care of myself included.  The lives of my children, my work, my husband's business, taking care to see my friends and balance relationships, I can't forget taking care of my trusty companion, my dog and then I must take care of myself too . Planning, planning, planning. Planning for shows, planning for trips, planning for holidays, planning for my kids heading to or already in college. You know the ...the list could go on. Sometimes I get so focused on the To Do List that I forget to enjoy the moments. After all that is what life is all about, the moments.

The past few times that I have had the opportunity to enjoy my moments at my torch I have been focused on creating something specific. Custom orders, beads for upcoming shows, beads to list in my Etsy or ArtFire stores and alas a little something for myself. I recently purchased a cuff bracelet made of turquoise, sparkling seed beads and some brown stoney looking beads. I want to create a pendant that is similar in color with a textural look to wear with this bracelet. So far I have not been satisfied with the results. Apparently, I am my own worst customer. I have created some pretty beads but I have not captured the look I want to pair with my new bracelet. (This will be a story for another day.)

My plan for today was to make beads, my plan would be to try again to capture that perfect pendant for myself. As I began I felt frustrated. I did not want to work with "those" colors again. Ugggh! I was just not into today. "But I want to make beads so what will I make?" I was not coming up with any of my usual ideas. So I decided to stop thinking and just do. This felt so freeing for me. I tend to be a thinker and can think a subject or idea to no end. But today, in my moment, I was free. I didn't think or plan. I just picked up a colored rod that looked good to me and began to wind the glass onto the mandrel. There was no preconceived plan, stringers were pulled on the fly, matching colors were picked in the moment. I found myself happy and satisfied to just let it all go. I didn't worry too much about winding the glass perfectly balanced on the mandrel, if it wasn't perfect when I squished the glass I would figure out a way to embellish the bead to make a balanced bead. I am tired of all the to do lists and the planning. Today I just need to be and create.

So today I created my beads of balance and I love them!

Art Charms Part 2

I am excited about the art charm exchange I joined which has been hosted by Jennifer of Glassaddictions. Last week I gave you a sneak peak of the beads. Now I have the 10 beads made into charms. I mailed them off to Jennifer on Monday. 

I wanted a group photo of all the charms but in my excitement to get them in the mail, I forgot to take pictures of them before I attached them to my cards. I had to back track a little bit and attempted to take photos with them attached to the cards. 

I don't want to ruin it for the participants of this exchange so I won't show photos of all the charms until we have all received our charms. I will show you just one....I made all my charms different so no one knows exactly which one they will be getting. 

As an artist I love to participate in exchanges like this. It always stretches my artistic abilities. It helps me to think beyond my preferred colors and methods. We all have our favorite color palette and the colors for this exchange are not in my palette. What I have found is that these colors work beautifully together and I will be making more beads with this color theme. I enjoy how something so simple as an exchange between friends can open up a realm of new possibilities.

It is also tons of fun to look forward to receiving goodies in the mail. 

You can learn more about all 10 participants in this exchange by visiting their blogs.

Art Charm Exchange Participants:

1. Jennifer http://glassaddictions.blogspot.com

2. Susan http://suebeads.blogspot.com

3. Kristie http://ArtisanClay.blogspot.com

4. Paige http://pmaximdesigns.blogspot.com/

5. Nan http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/

6. Amy http://copperdiem.blogspot.com/

7. Lauren http://maybeads.blogspot.com/

8. Loretta http://www.designsbyloretta.blogspot.com/

9. Ema http://emakaye.blogspot.com/

10. Janel http://janeldudleybeads.blogspot.com/

Art Charms Sneak Peek

One of the things I love about other lampworkers is their ability to share with each other. This can happen in a variety of ways; sharing techniques, general knowledge, working together in groups and one fun way is bead swaps. I think of the bead swaps as a way for grown ups to play. Recently I joined an Art Charm Swap hosted by a lampworking friend of mine, Jennifer of GlassAddictions.

Jen put out the word that she wanted to host an art charm swap. She had clearly defined guidelines to follow and three colors to use. If you are curious about the details you can read Jennifer's blog here. She choose three colors from the Pantone pallet, living coral, chocolate truffle and lagoon. 

I have ten beads made up and ready to be made into charms. I will give you just a sneak peek.

Fire Divas Quarterly Jewelry Challenge Fall 2010

Summer is winding down and the holidays will be here in the blink of an eye. The Fire Divas are hosting our quarterly jewelry challenge. Our theme this time is 'The Holiday Season', and we welcome submissions reflecting any or all of the holidays that are upcoming between now and the end of the year. If you'd like to see some holiday-inspired Fire Diva creations, check our our Flickr page.

As challenges go there are rules to be followed. You will find the rules at the end of my post, but first you must check out the fabulous prizes offered by our Divas....

 http://www.emakaye.etsy.com/

http://www.twoglassyladies.ca/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JanelDudleyBeads

http://arensea.etsy.com/ or http://arensea.artfire.com

http://www.teasebeads.artfire.com/

http://www.artfire.com/users/BabsBeadsandDesign

http://www.lajewelrydesigns.etsy.com/ or http://www.lajewelrydesigns.artfire.com

http://www.hollysfolly.com/

http://www.lutrick.artfire.com/

Owl bead from http://www.maybeads.etsy.com/

http://www.beadygirlbeads.etsy.com/

Now for the details:

All submissions must feature Fire Divas' lampwork. We require the name of the Fire Diva who made the beads used in the submitted piece, so if you submit something, please be ready to provide that information.

We will allow one submission per person per contest, and a maximum of two photos per submission. Entries may be submitted here (http://www.flickr.com/groups/firedivachallenge/) for approval, no later than October 15, 2010. Please include, in the comments section, the following:

• Information about the beads
• Description of the piece
• Inspiration for the piece

Submissions will not be approved without all of this information.

Fire Divas reserve the right to approve or reject any submissions.
Fire Divas reserve the right to modify or cancel the challenge at any time.

The winners will be determined by an open poll which does not allow multiple votes.

Something New...Facebook Stores

Have you seen the new stores popping up on Facebook? I just opened my shop, Ema K Designs on Facebook.

I will keep adding beads and jewelry here so keep an eye out. You won't even have to leave Facebook to make your purchase. I think that is so fantastic.

Today I have an etched dragonfly bead for sale.

Murrini Grab Bag

I finally had a chance to try my new murrini. I was unsure what to do with my beautiful murrini so I decided to first work with the free grab bag I received from Lori and Kim. I was little afraid to use the murrini. It feels like a precious gem and I don't want to waste it until I have a brilliant idea.

I was satisfied with my attempt resulting in this bead, Field of Murrini Poppies, listed in my Etsy shop.

I received a conversation from ZionShore. She created this extremely beautiful treasury.

You may notice one row is duplicated. This is due to my lack of computer skills and my ability to capture the entire treasury in one shot. I do try. :D

Murrini Summer

Summer is underway and last Saturday I received my very first order of purchased murrini. For some time now Lauren of Maybeads has been blogging about murrini, you can see her Murrini Mondays blog. All her blogs and beautiful creations have convinced me that the time has come for me to give murrini a try for myself. However, with it being summer my kids have been keeping me busy and I have not been able to get myself behind the torch this week.

I am looking forward to a weekend full of fun 4th of July activities. However, in the back of my mind I am also looking forward to the week after the fourth. This is when I will finally get a day or two to use my new murrini. The following are some of the beautiful murrini pieces I purchased from Lori and Kim.

Aren't they beautiful? I feel like a little kid with a new toy. I can hardly wait to get these beauties on a bead.

Viking Knit Sterling Silver Meets Lampwork Beads

I have some new pieces I have been working on and thoroughly enjoying the process.

For a very long time I have wanted to try to knit sterling silver. I tried some years ago but at that time it seemed very difficult. I think the sterling wire I was using was too heavy a gauge. Recently the flame was rekindled. I was at a bead show and another lampworker was selling a kit for viking knit. My Mom purchased the kit and we were both off and running.

I feel the process of viking knit combines my quilting background with my passion for lampworking and jewelry making. The viking knit allows me to hang around with my family, sit on the couch and watch (or listen to) a show while I happily knit away.

When the knitting is complete I have a tube of knitted sterling silver which I can then work into a bracelet or necklace. So far I have only made bracelets but an idea for a necklace is rolling around in my head.

Here is a pic of the final knitted product, after I have pulled it down (the process of pulling the knitted sterling through a piece of wood with descending sized holes).

I then take some measurments for the size bracelet I want to make and combine the viking knit with some purchased sterling components....

...add my own lampwork bead...

and whooola .... a bracelt is made.

You can find this and other bracelets in my Etsy shop

Dragonflies

One of my sisters is very into dragonflies. I decided I would try to make a dragonfly bead for her. I had considered this in the past but I did not feel I had the skill to bring a dragonfly to life on a bead. The time had come to tackle this. The only problem I could foresee would be how to get the webbed look of a dragonfly wing. That is something I want to bring to my dragonfly beads.

The following are some photos of my three day process.

Day 1

I considered these practice beads. My intent was to get the shape of a dragonfly and experiment with a webbing effect on the wings.

Day 2

I experimented with a different combination of glasses to define the wings.

Still not quite the look I was going for but I was reasonably happy with the results.

Day 3

Now this is more like it. A combination of different types of glasses and some silver foil got me much closer to the look I want to see.

Happy Dragonfly Beads for sale in my Esty shop.

How Long Does it Take to Make a Bead?

How long does it take to make a bead?
This is a question I am asked often when I am selling my work at a show. It is difficult to answer simply. It depends on the style and the amount of detail in a particular bead.

However, at a recent show I had a customer, who has just begun to learn the process of lampworking. She called her husband over and explained in detail how I make one of my bejeweled beads.

She and I began talking and she brought up the point of how people often ask how long it takes to make a bead. She informed me that this is the wrong question to ask. The question should be, "How many YEARS did it take to get to the point that you can make this bead?"

I have been thinking about that statement and have come to realize how absolutely right on topic this statement is. I have been lampworking for more than 5 years now. It took me four years to develop the stringer control necessary to place so many dots in just the right spot to create the bejeweled beads that I consider good enough to sell. I continue to work on my stringer control because I love to draw on beads, as in my OM beads, enameled hearts, or my butterfly beads. Some days the control is better than others, so the skill is still developing.

My Fire Diva friend, Lauren of Maybeads wrote a blog which inspired me to write my story. Stop by Lauren's blog to see some of her very first beads.

My Etsy shop

My Life

I promised to share a bit of who I am so here goes....

First and foremost I am a Mom, the most important job that I do. I like the title Life Manager. I think this is an accurate title for everything that I do on a daily basis.

I am Mom to three boys, ages 10, 17 and 19. Yes I find it hard to believe I have a kid that is anywhere near 20 years old. I still think I'm in my late 20's on most days. Parenting teenagers presents an interesting challenge to me on a daily basis. That could be an entire blog story for another day. I am lucky enough to be able to say my kids are really great kids and they truly don't give me much to worry about.

I am married to a great guy. My only complaint is he works too hard. (I know...I really shouldn't complain about that.) My husband is a self employed electrician and I handle all aspects of the office for him (bookkeeping, bill paying, contracts, invoices, etc.). I also manage the household. I never thought job would require a title but it seems as my life has moved forward it is a huge job. I often think I should get a paying job but I honestly don't know how my family would function if I did. We would have no food, no wearable clothes and we would live in a pig sty OR I would be a stressed out mess trying to get it all done. I don't know how women who work full time are able to get it all done. I say that with the utmost respect and envy. I have no debate on working vs. stay at home moms. We all have to do what works best for us and we should therefore respect the other persons choice. Simple.

Finally, I love to create. I am not able to hold myself to just one form of art. I love to explore new mediums. So therefore I dabble in many areas of art, such as drawing, painting, quilting, wool felting, knitting, photography and so on. However, my love and source of never ending possibilities is working glass in a flame, a process known as lampworking. This is also my business. I create one of kind lampwork beads and jewelry. Many of my creations can be found at local craft shows and on the internet.

There is my life in a nutshell. So now I am off to create!

Thanks for stopping by.

Ema

Find me on Etsy

It happens every summer in mid-August

Every summer in mid-August I hit the wall. My frustration level becomes far too high and my patience much too limited. I know why this happens and I will explain later but this year when the s#*t hit the fan (which happened last weekend) I decided to do something about it NOW rather than later.

Here's my story....

My kids get out of school for the summer in mid June (the date can vary widely depending on how many snow days we have over the winter) and go back to school in very late August or early September. Summer is a fun and exciting time. We all look forward to having a break from the school bell time clock and routine. I can honestly include myself in that statement because I do look forward to having my children all to myself. The summer becomes a crazy but fun schedule unto itself; constant sleep overs here, there and everywhere, daytime swims, nighttime swims, hanging by the fire pit, vacationing, camping, biking, hiking and yes too many video games.

As a stay at home Mom I love the summer routine. Here it comes...the big BUT....but by mid-August I crack. I long for me time. Time to create, time to exercise, time to be quiet, time to listen to MY music as loud as I want...just plain time to be me on my own terms, even if it is only for a few hours a day. I have learned over the years that by the middle of August my cup is empty. I have nothing left to give. I usually hang on by a thread for two or three weeks. This year I sat for a while in a self pity session whining to myself about all the things I want to do and don't seem able to get done. In the middle of my mid-August melt down I decided it didn't have to be this way, I could take action.

I did something I have never, ever done in my life.....I went shopping. I have never shopped because I was emotionally distressed for any reason. Really...never!

I have been considering redoing my bedroom for over a year and could never find exactly what I was looking for. Well wouldn't you know there it all was in one store on that one particular day. The sheets, the comforter/bedspread, decorative pillows, lamps (which perfectly matched the shade type in other areas of my home and I LOVE them.). Everything in the exact color scheme, theme, and style I have been looking for. I couldn't believe it nor could I resist buying it all. I know, I know I really shouldn't have given my mood but I did and I am really happy with all my purchases. What does this mean? I believe that the universe aligns itself to what you want and think about. On this day I decided to take care of my desires and there it all was waiting for me to show up. (Too bad the universe didn't send extra cash my way to cover paying for my desires...maybe it is on its way to me at this moment.)

Over the last few days it occurred to me...I need to pay attention to me more often. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of family life (any caretaker will understand this) I need to get off the tread mill once in a while and check in with myself. In checking in I found out I was not taking care of myself. I was not making myself happy. Time to reassess the direction of my days.

I did just that. I have begun a morning routine of rising before the rest of the family to take some time to find that quiet time. I have set limits for the upcoming week, everyday doesn't have to be all about the kids..Mom gets some time to create and time to just get stuff done. This way we can ALL be happy.

So today I am creating some resin bottle cap pendants. Stay tuned...I will blog about this process later this week and have photos of the completed pendants.

So I end with the old adage we all know well:

If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.